But we like deals, and always looking to try something new, so we decided to give it a whirl. Heck, “premium gourmet,” and “whole muscle cut,” had a nice ring to it. Company had good reviews online too.

Pro: Was surprised how hefty the bag was when it arrived. For some reason, a 3 lb bag was heftier than we thought it would be. Ripped it open, and …

Flavor Factor: The pepper jerky is AWESOME. Big chunks. Not really tender, but great texture. Hearty, rugged, and hot are probably the best descriptors. The big bulky pieces tear along the grain nicely, and give you a huge amount of chew. Pepper flakes add some zip, and you DEFINITELY feel the heat. The kind of heat that leaves you craving more.

Price: By our accounting, the Groupon deal is mostly a sales gimmick, because the company has a 20% off and Free Shipping promotion through their newsletter. If you figure high-quality jerky at $30/pound, you can get a $90 bag of jerky for $69.99 (Price after Groupon applied: $34.99 + Shipping: $10 + Original Groupon price: $25).

So a $20 overall savings. Not bad!

Con: We thought we’d be able to combine our Groupon with other promotional offers, and basically get our 3 lbs of jerky at a fire sale price. But naturally, that’s too good to be true. B.U.L.K. doesn’t allow you to combine a Groupon, or their other coupons for that matter. You can only apply ONE at checkout 😦

But hey, they’d go out of business if they offered a premium product below cost, right?

BONUS POINTS: As for the people behind the company, the name stands for: “Building Up Lives with Kindness.” Their founder, Petey G, has interesting story you can read on their About Us page. Hey, Petey, we’re still waiting for that discount code 🙂

B.U.L.K. Jerky also has a Jerky of the Month subscription club that looks promising.